


Elbow Grease

by EruGhostCat



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Action, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Nightmares, Tales from the Borderlands, and a lil angst, proposal, the one where they hug alot and also feels, wedding will be in epilogue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-16 16:41:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12346551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EruGhostCat/pseuds/EruGhostCat
Summary: “And once I’m done building it, I’m gonna grab every gun I can carry, I’m gonna drive out of here, I’m gonna rescue my girlfriend, and I’m gonna marry the piss out of her.”In which Janey Springs rescues her girlfriend and marries the piss out of her. And the events in between.(updates paused atm, ive had so much workkkkkk xD sorry)





	1. Janey's On A Mission

Janey runs her hand through her hair, standing back to observe the completed rocket. The caravan’s final modifications are finally attached, tested, and calibrated. She can officially say the vehicle is spaceworthy. She’s proud of their work, it had been a challenge but nothing a bit of elbow grease couldn’t fix. Janey had made sure to stock some Oz kits in the caravan. Hopefully, the ladies and Scooter would have a smooth journey. She’s done all she can do from here. The drafting table is covered in blueprints and calculations, along with an empty food wrapper or two. She wipes her forehead, rubbing her headband.

She’s itching to get going, find Athena, get her home safe. Better judgement warns that she should rest, especially when she’s been working nearly nonstop on the rocket the past week. Going back home to an empty bed, restless with worry, is a harder battle than anything she’s been struggling with the past week. She did drift off a few times at the shop when Scooter had insisted that she take breaks from the project. He seemed to understand and had her become acquainted with the cot in the office after he found her sleeping on the drafting table. Rest had a tendency of inviting nightmares, sensations of immense heat, helplessness.

The last time Janey worked with rockets was back on Elpis. Specifically when they were in need of a private rocket so they could quietly move to Pandora. It had taken several weeks of preparation, selling the Emporium space in Concordia to pay for parts and labor as they went about assembling the rocket just off Serenity’s Wastes. Pickle had helped a bit on the technical side when he wasn’t attempting to steal parts from them. Springs had spent many nights pouring over rocket data Athena snagged from the R & D department on Helios. Did any of this make Janey a rocket scientist? Debatable.

She remembers the satisfaction when the Elpis rocket was finally finished. The nervous hesitation to actually use it despite the fact that she had spent everything she had on this rocket. A one way trip to Pandora. There was nothing left for her on Elpis. It’s when Athena, already climbing the ladder, turned to face her with a hand outstretched that Janey swallowed her fear. She took her hand. She’d follow that woman anywhere.

This time around, the experience was entirely different. It was a desperate sort of urgency motivating the rocket’s construction. Working with Scooter has been nice, however. Elpis had many gifted tinkerers, yet their crafts were so varied that collaboration didn’t happen often nor smoothly; such as Pickle snagging some of their parts. They appreciated each other's craftsmanship while having much to learn from one another. Before Athena was grabbed, it had been fun. After, well, he was very kind and tried to make sure she ate.

He’s a good friend. Janey makes a mental note to properly thank him after he returns back to Pandora. He said he’d be launching an advertisement satellite for Catch-A-Ride when they get out there. She promised him she’d look out for it.

The mechanic packs up her tool boxes and tucks her lug wrench into her belt. She sends out a confirmation to Fiona and Scooter about the caravan being ready for launch. In the drawer of the drafting table is a customized Jakobs pistol Athena made for her. She takes it into her hand, sliding her fingers over ornate designs and the metal seams where it had been taken apart and then reassembled again. She keeps it close to ward off any scavs who so much looked her way as she makes her way back to their home.

 

She has fond memories of modding guns with Athena. It had started with Athena attempting to throw an excessive amount of found weapons into the Grinder at the Emporium.

  

“Springs.”

Janey sticks her head out of the office. “Needin’ something?”

“Can’t you just… do something with these guns? The Grinder’s being uncooperative. You did… uh, nice work with that laser.”

“Yeah, I wonder what happened to that laser.”

Janey crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at her. Athena shifted her weight from one foot to the other, tugging slightly on her scarf.

“Ehm.”

 

Janey pointed her thumb behind her at the office desk. She smiled, “What do you say ‘bout tinkerin’ with those guns with me? Could be fun!”

 

The gladiator glanced at the Emporium exit and then back at Janey. She shrugged.

“Oh. Um, well, I guess we could. I don’t have to meet up with the other Vault Hunters until tomorrow.”

 

“Alright! Let me get you a chair.”

 A moment later, Athena dumped about 15 guns in a pile on Janey’s desk. Janey placed her tools neatly beside them. Athena pulled an SMG from the pile and pried the casing open.

 

“You done any modding before?”

 “Minimum. I know how to maintain weapons and I’ve tried making some adjustments in the past but it’s always been hit or miss.”

 Janey can tell by the unsure way Athena prods the circuits. The junker started to toy with one of the rifles. She wasn’t that crazy about guns but there was hardly a place where it _wasn’t_ profitable to know your way around a weapon in this solar system. She was halfway through re-configuring her third gun when Athena sighed.

 “What’s the use?”

 She tossed the now malfunctioning SMG back into the pile.

 “There’s always newer, stronger guns out there. You’d be surprised how many guns I go through in a week.”

 

Janey took the SMG to her side of the table. She stretched her fingers before taking her tools to it.

“Suppose you stop finding guns or you get short of cash? Then you’d find upgrading what you got real useful. ‘Sides, if you had a very good modification… then maybe you’d prefer it over newer guns. Sentimental… maybe?”

 Athena shrugged, studying Janey’s hands as they rewired the elemental modifier on the barrel of the SMG. She moved fluidly, making tweaks to amplify the settings and testing the output through a small device.

 

“I try not to get attached.” The gladiator replied.

 “To guns? Or people?” Janey’s dark eyes met hers.

 

“Uh”, Athena rubbed her palms together, “Both, usually.”

 Janey soldered the casing of the modifier shut. Absently, Athena sorted through the other subpar quality weapons left in the pile.

 

“Loyalty to the mission is what I guarantee. Loyalty to a person is… something else. There’s no amount of money anyone could offer to get that from me.”

 

The mechanic slid the SMG across the table to Athena. She took it into her hands, and took a test shot at the targets they had put up in the corner of the room. The target instantly burst into flames, earning a smile on the assassin’s face. Athena excitedly turned back to Janey, finding the mechanic leaning her face on her hand with an affectionate smile aimed at her.

 “It's fire! Er-I mean, it’s got a high combustion rate.”

 “Yeah.”

 The gladiator appeared flustered, averting her gaze at the SMG. “I’m very proficient in using fire and electricity in combat.”

Janey chuckled and Athena’s skin turned nearly as red as her armor.

 

 

That SMG is hanging over the couch in their living room. Athena had long since found and modified better equipment. She was a fast learner, but lacked the creativity that Janey incorporated into her work. That was fine to her, as she never claimed to be an artist (unless it was the art of battle). Janey had asked why Athena hadn’t yet gotten rid of that old SMG before they moved to Pandora. She had put her hands on her hips, declaring, “Sentiment.”

Janey flops down on their couch. Exhaustion starts to catch up with her. She checks her ECHO for updates on the feelers she’s been sending out the past week. She had asked around The Purple Skag. Scooter even helped her contact Moxxi, which had been more awkward than informational. All sources add up to Sanctuary, although Athena’s exact location was varied. First thing tomorrow, Springs will figure out how to get in there and investigate. Maybe Athena is there and they've been moving her around the city. Hopefully.  
An hour or so from now, Fiona’s people and Scooter would begin prepping to blast off planet. She rests the ECHO on her chest, staring up at the ceiling of their house. Without work or a project to distract herself with all the bad little thoughts start to worm their way in.

Athena.  
Please be okay.  
Her fist slams into the couch. Why did she have to lie and go out there? They’ve been running and hiding for years and _for what?_ Her fingers claw against the fabric of the couch. It’s no use. Athena’s out of reach.

 

Suddenly she’s dragging herself across the metal grated floor with her good arm, leaving her shotgun and the cracked remnants of Flamey by the doorway. Solid Dahl shutters close over the door behind her. The severe burns and bite wounds that seared her side made moving and breathing unbearable. She scrambles for the supply shelf, bumping into it and causing its contents to crash onto the floor beside her. Janey’s fingers fumble over a rejuvenator, stabbing it into her thigh. She releases a shaky exhale.

 

She hears her screaming outside.

 

Shit, there was another kraggon. It must have found--

The junker struggles to move from the corner of the room, get back to the door and her shotgun. She crawls to the entrance, taking the gun and trying to reach the release button on the door. She stumbled down the ashen path, ignoring her pain, the shock, the fact that she had only one shot left in her gun, and the familiar dread.

Their little camp door was open.

She limbs down the hallway, leaning heavily on the wall as she goes. She’s seen this a million times now. The little kraggon will come out and she’ll use her last shot and miss the killing blow. Maybe if she moves faster she can save her this time.

The kraggon does not appear.

When she reaches the door and the hall is too empty and the room is too quiet. She’s suddenly terrified that the kraggon is still in there, eating her.

 

No.

 

She finds her on the floor, surrounded by grim shadows and blood splatter coating the walls. Indigo hair contrasting against bright red, leaking from pierced armor. This is all wrong. She tears her eyes from the motionless body to look at the shadowy figures standing stiffly around the it in that small room. They are all staring at Janey. They’re silent, they don’t even smile. She only has one shot left in her shotgun.

 

 

Janey falls off the couch with a thud, clutching the scars on her side. Trembling, she manages to push herself into a sitting position against the couch.

“Damn it.” She shakily exhales, struggling to regulate her breathing.

She runs her fingers through her hair before letting her head fall back against the cushions. Janey groans and picks up the fallen ECHO, checking the time. Somehow it's been hours. She stands, body still uneasy, and walks to the shower. The water washes away her nerves.

After, Springs begins a survey of the house. There is a gun stashed in every room, sometimes two depending on the size. It made Athena feel more secure. She checks their specs, trying to get a feel for which would be the best to take. Janey opens the closet, lifting the false floor to access the stockpile of various ammunition boxes. She leaves their home with at least five pistols, a laser rifle, and a shotgun stuffed in a bag slung over her shoulder. She’s hoping that she won’t _have_ to use any of them, but she’s never been a girl to be unprepared. Along with her trusty tool set, she can’t fail!  
Heh.

Springs takes the bike out of the garage, locking up the shop behind her. It could do with a test ride. She drives the motorcycle out of Hollow Point to do some scouting. There’s a biting acid in the pit of her gut but it feels good to finally be able to start looking for Athena. She’s got all sorts of nagging thoughts from the nightmare.

Not this time, that’s a promise. An organized group of Vault Hunters, a pack of kraggons, same difference, right? The outside light washes over her as she zooms towards the cave’s mouth.  She emerges into a burst of intense light and heat, the afternoon sun already strong in the sky. It’s still a bit overwhelming how bright Pandora could get in contrast to Elpis. That’s one of the reasons they chose to live in Hollow Point.

Janey guided the motorcycle around the sandy path, spiraling further upwards. Still couldn’t see over the massive cavern that held Hollow Point, but it was better than nothing. Suspended in the air was the small silhouette of what Springs assumes is Sanctuary. The flying city. She’s heard it’s one of Dahl’s left overs. Dahl is so reliably good at leaving their crap all over the place. Helios faintly glows over Elpis in the distance.

An explosion erupts in the sky, debris shooting out in all directions. Janey ducks behind the motorcycle for cover out of habit. Random meteor showers, space junk, and moonshots were a common occurance living on Elpis.

Springs scans the horizon, following the trails of the debris. She mentally calculates and maps where the pieces land. Most were far out, seemed a little inconvenient to go salvaging. Old habits. She focuses her attention back on Sanctuary. Might have to build an aircraft to get up there. A souped up ultra Stingray… That sounds pretty awesome.  

Beep.

Janey checks her ECHO, a notification flashing on the screen. An image with a green background displays Scooter with the words “Hero, friend, and hero.”

Well, that’s odd. That’s not what he said he was gonna put on the satellite. Still, the Catch-A-Ride logo is stamped underneath the large white lettering. Janey studies the words again. She glances up at Helios. A sinking feeling weighs down her gut. Maybe something bad happened.

Oh. 

Oh shit.

The explosion from a moment ago replays in her mind. Ordinary on Elpis-- but this is Pandora. Does that happen on Pandora? She looks across the landscape, now littered in smoke marking the rubble. Looks like she’ll be investigating the debris after all. She drives out much further from home than she would’ve liked. The threat of roaming beasts or scavs are rather high.  
She just needs to know.

A few clicks off the road, she comes upon one of the crash sites. A large piece of the crashed rocket sticks out of the ground, charred nearly black from the explosion. Janey parks close, careful to keep her pistol handy. She kneels by the scrap and quickly sifts through the burnt wires and twisted metal. It does seem very likely to be the same parts she had been handling not 24 hours earlier while preparing the caravan. That’s… not too alarming, she tried to assure herself. They’d have to disengage the rockets after they broke atmo.

She takes salvageable pieces and tucks them into her pockets, tossing larger parts into the side car. She tugs the cloth of her wristbands over her palms to protect from the sharp edges as she pushes another large sheet of metal out of the way. A metal box lies behind it. Springs kicks it with her boot. It tumbles over and a disembodied hand falls out.

 

Well.

 

She grimaces, recognition wrestling with doubt. She quickly stands and runs back to the bike.

She wishes she could just ECHO Scooter or Fiona. She can’t broadcast as far as off planet, however. She would just have to fear the worst, what with the memorial like satellite message and severed limb. As she starts the engine, an Outrunner crashes into one of the large sheets of charred metal just beside her. A psycho limps out, his comrades having much more difficulty getting out of the vehicle due to being directly embedded in the debris. He points at Springs, shrieking about pizza.  
Yeah, defs not her scene.

She deftly draws her pistol, blowing out the drongo’s remaining good leg from under him. She unloads the rest of the clip on the Outrunner, hoping to disable it as she ignites the boosters on the bike. Gunfire erupts behind her as she presses her body against the frame of the motorcycle. Sand and dust fly as she retreats back into the cool of the dimly lit cavern.

She parks in Scooter’s garage, unloading the salvage and brushing some of the sand off the bike. She shuffles through the blueprints on the desk, yanking out the one for the motorcycle from under several drafts for the caravan. Janey jots some quick notes down in the margin for some possible improvements, dating it so she doesn’t forget. She’d tinker with it more after she rescues Athena.

 

So, a Souped Up Ultra Stingray? Building that rocket had already drained quite a bit of their resources. She would have to check Scooter’s stock across his other shops. He had a Fast Travel machine installed in each of his offices, exclusively connecting them on a private network. It made it easier to manage the multiple locations.

Janey unlocks Scooter’s office-- her office, and takes a bottle of water from the mini fridge. She sits down and just tries to slow her mind down to process everything.

Scooter might not be coming back.

She also just shot a guy and managed to get away as his gang fired back at her.

What a nice a day it’s already turning out to be.

 

She inspects her pistol, taking out the clip and replacing the bullets. Alright. Janey pulls herself out of the chair and accesses the Fast travel. Her finger hovers over one of the displayed linked locations.

Sanctuary.

 

Well, no Souped Up Ultra Stingray then.

She takes a deep breath and shuts her eyes. “Sanctuary selected.” The machine chimes out. It begins counting down to initiation. She squeezes the strap of the bag tightly.  Fast traveling is always an extremely uncomfortable experience. Janey had put off setting one up back on Elpis when she worked between Concordia and Ozless Harbor. She prefered taking a short drive rather than trying to deal with fast travel jitters. Of course, then Deadlift had to go steal her Digistruct key.

Athena once told her about a woman who got spliced with tork corpses in the deconstruction process. She got trapped in some sort of endless cycle of hybrid ghost tork birth, death, and rebirth. Ugh. That did absolutely nothing to ease her anxieties. Athena shrugged, “What? It’s reversible.” She said this right before activating the machine and zapping herself off to another random bounty job. Sometimes, Janey honestly did not want to know.

When the light dies down along with the intense tingling in her limbs, she opens her eyes. She pats her body. Everything’s there, legs, hands, band aids. She checks the gun bag just to be sure. Janey leans on the desk, taking a few shaky breaths. Okay, that was step one done. The office here is… redder than Hollow Point's. A rusted sanguine coats the walls, chipping off in some parts. Best plan? Keep to the shadows. Good thing she woke up so late.

Springs carefully peeks out of the garage. The city seems to be as orderly as Concordia was, with perhaps a better organized government-- as if the ruddy Meriff was any competition. Better than the random psychos that often roamed the streets of Hollow Point, anyways. Several armed bandits walk by. She _could_ ask one of them for directions.

 

_Have you seen my girlfriend? She’s short and grumpy, and was last seen being dragged away by your people? I’m gonna to break her out. Oh, and if I find out that any of you hurt her, I’ll crash your damn city into the ground. Thanks mate!_

 

Cue smile, thumbs up.

With any luck, they’ll throw her in a cell with Athena.  
Now, that’s a thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love them so much  
> I need more content......... I've been writing this fic for a lil while, almost finished with it. It's just been slow because I've started doing college again. I'll update weekly and maybe make related fanart xD. We'll switch to Athena's side in the next chapter. There won't be any smut in the story btw.


	2. The Spring In Her Shield

Athena sighs, leaning her weight against the wooden pole the Crimson Raiders had her tied up to. Even after detailing the entire Elpis mission and  _postponing_ her execution by firing squad, Lilith still wanted her detained. At least she took the firing squad with her. They had her moved to a storage area in the back of the city. She is less of a town spectacle and more of an old prop. Now that it seems like her life isn’t in immediate danger, the whole ordeal just feels monotonous. She is exhausted. They’ve been keeping her here for a week and a half. They gave her brief breaks for the barest amount of hygiene needs and then it was back to the pole. Atlas training had made it impossible for her to fall asleep in such a vulnerable state.

Tiny Tina has been sharing scraps of food whenever she comes to visit. Some sort of compensation for having Athena tell the Bestest Edition of _The Elpis Story._ The kid is twitchy but she seems alright. Brick always came along with her to keep an eye on Athena. Even with the laxer security, escaping would be a challenge with her Aspis and Xiphos locked up and far out of reach.

She’s so tired.

Athena would be a hypocrite if she said they didn’t deserve to look for retribution for the loss and pain they suffered. She’s well aware of the role she played in enabling that bastard to become an all-powerful tyrant. It was unintentional, but hell, half the Atlas people she killed technically had nothing to do with what the Crimson Lance made her do to Jess. She had killed them all on principle. She supposes that’s what they call karma.

Yet…

Three years. A new life-- or at least an attempt at one, with Janey. Cassius had been so close to being a stain on the floor and yet he’s still alive somewhere out there. Fiona stopped her. Athena wonders what Janey would think. Maybe she would have stopped her too, say they were both different people now. That Cassius did not deserve an Atlas death. What would Jess think?  
And if time and change equaled redemption, did that mean that Athena did not deserve execution?

Morals and Ethics were never her strong suit.  
  
Even if the Guardian somehow negotiates her release from Lilith’s custody, Athena’s not sure if she could go home.  
Would Janey still want her around?

There’s no way she hasn’t figured out what’s happened, that Athena’s been lying to her. That she broke the promise she made that once Janey got a steady business again, she'd stop risking her neck for money. She’s not sure how she’ll make it up to her. The gladiator could always go back to being a lonesome gun for hire. Money’s easy, adrenaline’s high, the pain almost numbing. All she had to do was ungrow that bit of consciousness.  
She shakes her head. She doesn't regret her experiences with Janey. Except the lies, probably. Considering the old man offered her $250,000 for mentoring the two young women-- well, she’s hoping Janey finds where she stashed it in the house. She deserves at least that much.

 

Her muscles are sore and there’s an awful crick in her neck that's driving her insane the more she tries she tries to fix it. Echoes of a conversation around the corner grow closer. The gladiator glares at the entrance of her makeshift prison. Tiny Tina and Brick are back. He lumbers in, pulls up a chair and leans back while Tina skips about with a box of Moxxi’s pizza, singing about bouncy… somethings. Badonks?

 

“My girl, Athena, knows what I’m talkin’  **a b o u t**!”

Athena squints at her. No, no she does not. She tries to speak, voice rough from disuse for the past day.

“If you aren’t going to kill me, when are you going to let me go?”

Brick shrugs, “Lilith doesn’t want you running loose yet. If the Guardian wants you alive, sure. Doesn’t mean you get to go around making more trouble.”

“I assure you, that’s not what's going to happen. Ever since Elpis, I’ve been staying at home doing small delivery work.”

“That’s not how we found you.”

 

Athena sighs. Tiny Tina pokes her mouth with a piece of pizza. The girl gives her some water aswell before plopping herself down on a crate.

“Let’s get-get-going on that story!”

“We…” The gladiator starts, recalling where they had left off. “We started getting ECHOs transmissions from locals we had helped. Pickle. Nurse Nina. Probably grateful that the Eye of Helios was out of commision. The Vault Hunters and I split up into groups to run recon in Vorago Solitude. Jack was, as you can expect, quite impatient about us infiltrating the fortress to access the Elpisian Vault. We did manage to find time to help a guy get his ball back for some sport. I’m kidding, it wasn't extra time, it was spite.”

“So when you guys went to the fortress, what did it look like?”

“It was surrounded by a cryo-moat and it’s walls were covered with--lots of mounted Dahl turrets. “

“Ooooh. Turrets. ON TOP OF TURRETS. THAT SHOOT BOMBS.”

“...Yeah. Each was dealt with methodically, stacking shock damage with corrosive fire to dismantle them. Waves of  _Lost Legion Veterans_ and  _Lost Legion Eternal-- Chaotics_ swarmed out of their camps and over the bridge as we faced the fortress. We locked in deadly combat. I raised my Aspis-”

“Then you shanked a bitch with it!”

“That’s  _still_ not how the Aspis works. I shank them with the Xiphos-- that's my sword. We’re not at the part where I shank them."

"Why can't you just call them your shield and sword instead of asses and zippos?"

" _They have names._ " Athena glares at her but the preteen is entirely unaffected. "So, I raised the Aspis and dashed into the fray to draw the enemy's fire so my teammates could flank them.  _Then_ my blade sunk into one of the Legionnaires. I cleanly dispatched a Veteran and a Sawbones. I sent the overcharged Aspis ricocheting against five more targets, disabling them against-”

 

“Oh! Oh hey. Hey Athena? Hey.”

“Huh?”

Tiny Tina leans to the side, loudly munching on crisps. “Whatever happened to that Springs cutie? She still on the moon? You guys ever hang out, if you know what I mean, and  _I think you doooo…”_

Athena frowns, her mental imagery of glorious battle suddenly morphing into Janey. Her dark eyes and warm dexterous hands. Her lips. Her skin.

“She’s.”

Fuck.

“...around.”

Tiny Tina raises an eyebrow.

“--And whether we’ve  _hung out_ or not is  **none of your business**.”

 

Athena meant to say this calmly, with a straight face. But she knows she's blushing terribly because she's too tired to have a filter and half her mind is vividly reliving the last time she and Janey were alone together. It’s obviously a hard sell judging by the drawn out “Ooooooh” and the way Tiny Tina was now jumping on the crate.

“You hit that! Gimmie high-five!” She shouts, hopping around Athena’s bound figure.

The gladiator glances between a grinning Brick and the rambunctious teen. How does she expect a high five when her hands are literally tied? The girl is practically yelling to the entire city that Athena has banged Janey Springs. She's honestly more disturbed that a child was asking about her sex life. Tina realizes the problem, walking over to Athena’s restrained wrists with her hand raised dramatically high. Accepting defeat, Athena outstretches one of her palms.

Thwap!

  
“That’s my girl.”

 

Athena coughs, wishing to refocus on less… inappropriate memories and get back to the required material.

“We made our way inside, crushing the onslaught of Lost Legion soldiers as well as Guardians. We were then able to access the Outfueling Station. There was a boss fight with a fighter jet and more Guardians.”

“Aww, a whole jet? Tell me ya’ll  _at least_ had  _bombs_.”

“The jet had bombs. We, uh, well, we had jump pads. We just scooped up the bombs the jet dropped and threw them back at it. I was mad. I jumped up there and I just--”

 

Athena looks wistfully off into the dying sunset.

“I punched a fighter jet.”

 

Tiny Tina laughs but Brick breaks into the moment, shaking her shoulder.

“Look, the station!”

He points towards Elpis. The red-violet sky is littered with space debris. The form of Helios steadily grows larger, entire sections shattering apart and painting the sky with orange and red explosions. Tiny Tina starts jumping again, yanking a grenade out of her pocket and tossing it in the air.

“FIREWORKS, BABY! Yeeeeeeeaaaah that’s right! Get down, bitch!”

Brick runs off, presumably to go ask Lilith what the hell is happening. Tina lingers by, gleefully soaking in the destruction. She highly doubts that the Crimson Raiders caused this. It was obvious they have just been focusing their operations on farming loot the past month. Tiny Tina lets out a satisfied sigh, patting Athena on the knee.

“I’m gon catch some sweet pics! I’ll save you one, kay?”

 

Athena is alone again. She wonders how long until Helios crashes into Pandora. The impact might cause quite a quake. Sanctuary would most likely be unaffected up in the air. She hopes it doesn’t destabilize Hollow Point. Faintly, the sound of crashing space junk and escape pods began to drum across the landscape. Athena has _a lot_ of negative opinions about the current state she is in, but she has to admit, the view is pretty good for observation. Something vaguely familiar thuds along with the percussion of destruction. Footsteps. Athena snaps her head around.

“Janey?”

The blonde raises an eyebrow at her. Has she reached the hallucination stage? Athena blinks a few times but it does nothing to distort the image of her girlfriend. Janey takes a knife from her tool belt and starts cutting the ropes binding Athena’s hands.

“Nice storytelling, Hon.”

“H-how did you--? Um. How _much_ did you hear?”

“I heard you were needin’ someone to  _spring_  you out of jail, haah. Oh, I heard quite a bit, got a nasty leg cramp waiting for an opening. Guess it’s good the sky’s fallin’ and all. As it turns out, Scooter's shop has a Fast Travel linking to here.”

 

Athena rubs her freed wrists, hoping to alleviate the soreness. She takes a step from the pole and lightheadedness crashes over her. It’s like her brain forgot how much her body weighed. She stumbles into her girlfriend. Janey wraps her arms around her waist, steadying her. “Hey, I got you.”

Athena hugs her back, savoring the comfort Janey somehow always radiated. Athena wants to stay here. Not in captivity, obviously, but in Janey’s arms. Damn, she has got to keep her sleep deprived brain together, at least til they’re safe.

Janey helps lead her around the large containers that had served as the walls of Athena’s “prison”. The gladiator leans against the wall of the entrance way, frustrated by how weak she’s become. She is dizzy just from trying to walk. Janey pulls a bag from over her shoulders, displaying the contents to Athena.  
Guns. Precious guns.

“Any preference? Brought all sorts.”

“Pistol…” Athena grunts, figuring it would be the easiest for her to handle and accurately fire in her current state.

“Which pistol?”

Athena would kiss her right now if they weren’t in a hostile enemy base surrounded by falling scrap.

She takes a Dahl shock pistol with a little bayonet attachment. She remembers killing badass Scavs with it. It’s normally stashed in their bathroom, in the towel cabinet. Good gun. Athena starts to push herself from the wall, her legs continuing to shake beneath her. Damn it.

She pushes herself regardless. She has to get them out of here--

Athena makes it almost two whole steps before her legs fail her, causing her to crumble down against the wall while Janey is sliding the bag of guns back onto her shoulders. The mechanic jerks forward enough to put her arm around Athena and awkwardly sandwiching her against the wall so she doesn't fall to the ground.

She plants her other hand on the wall beside Athena’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to fight, Athena.”

“But--?”

“I can handle it.”

“They are kind of  _very_ dangerous, Janey.”

Janey’s eyes pierce her girlfriend’s. Without a shred of doubt, the mechanic states, “I will protect you.”

 

She starts to protest as Janey’s arm wraps around her waist, her other arm tugging Athena’s to support herself on Janey’s shoulder. “I don't thin-”

They take a step around the corner and find a bruised guard sprawled on the ground, blood beginning to pool around his body.

“--Did you do that?”

Janey just gives her a look that very much says  _yes_ ,  _she did_ and  _see, Hon, I told you I would._  They make their way over to a ledge where the crates stack up to reach the rooftops and back alleys. The mechanic helps push Athena up onto the ledge. The gladiator looks down, expecting Janey to follow, even offering her arm. Janey makes some vague gestures with her head and hands. She’s too tired to understand this.

 

 _Get down_ , Janey mouths, jabbing her palm perpendicularly with her finger.

Oh.

Athena presses her body closer to the surface, keeping her eyes trained on her girlfriend. She hates feeling this helpless. The gladiator readies the pistol just in case. Another guard is approaching where the dead body was left. The elevated view allows Athena to watch the guard move along one row as Janey sneaks along the other with something in her hand.

She comes out behind him and sweeps a leg under him, sending the man crashing down. She kicks his rifle away from him and slams her lug wrench down on him. She aims for parts of the back and shoulder not covered by armor. Athena can imagine bones cracking with each brutal impact. After a bout of fury, she lets the wrench fall to the ground. She leans over, her hands propped on her knees for a moment. Then she grabs his arm and drags him out of sight.

Athena keeps watch, staring at the crate Janey disappeared behind. Minutes tick by agonizingly slow. What if he wasn’t dead and she needs help? People are shouting in the opposite direction Springs went, likely about Helios. Athena should be able to go check on her without them noticing. She starts to push herself up, swinging a leg over the edge so she can go back down. Janey reappears, lightly jogging back, pausing only to scoop up her bloodied wrench and slide it back into her tool belt. The gladiator moves her leg back over and on to the surface, hoping that Janey doesn’t notice. When she gets to the ledge Athena grabs onto her arms, helping to pull her up onto the top.

“Where’d you go?”

“I threw ‘em both off the edge.”

“Nice.”

“Thought so.”

 

Janey takes her back to Scooter’s office. Fortunately, everyone seemed to be distracted by the whole  _Helios is falling_ thing and hadn’t noticed their missing prisoner. Janey inputs Hollow Point’s Catch-A-Ride garage into the fast travel.

“Use the fast travel, it’ll take you back to Hollow Point. The office is locked, secure ‘n there’s a mini fridge if you’re hungry. There’s a lil cot if you want to rest there. Or you could walk home if you’d like. I… don’t know how long I’ll be.”

“You’re not coming?”

“Gotta get your gear. Where are they keeping it, you know?”

Athena points her arm in the direction of the Crimson Raider’s headquarters.

“Big red case in their office, but Lilith probably has the key.”

“I’ll probs just disassemble the entire thing.” Janey grins, patting the tool kits hanging off her belt. Athena can’t help but crack a smile at that. Imagining the Raider’s finding a neatly arranged pile of metal hinges and screws instead of their safe is pretty funny.

Janey squeezes her shoulder gently, “Get some rest, Hon.”

She points, her expression becoming stern.

“I’m still mad at you, by the way. When alls settled and you’re feelin’ better, we need to have a bit of a talk about all of--  _this_.” She gestures to their surroundings and vaguely waving at where Helios would be viewable if they were outside.

“It’s not exactly  _laying low_. Also, that Fiona lady and her peeps had us build her a rocket so I’m real sure she’s somehow responsible for the  _sky situation_.”

Athena frowns, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry.”

Janey stares at her, hands on her hips for a moment. She reaches out and takes Athena’s hand in hers. Her thumb rubs gently over her wrist and the sore indentations left by the ropes. She looks up into Athena’s face.

“I’m just happy you’re okay.” She says, voice soft. She tugs the slightly bloody lug wrench out of her belt as she takes a step out of the office.

 

“Janey.”

The blonde pauses, glancing back to meet her girlfriend’s eyes.

“I… uh, be careful, okay?”

Janey gives her a small smile and winks, bringing the wrench up in a slight wave. The office door locks behind her.

 

Athena initiates the fast travel. When she re-materializes in Hollow Point, she unlocks the office door to use the sink in the work room. The assassin leans most of her weight on the counter as she works. She takes off some of her clothes and armor pieces, down to her undershirt and shorts. She takes extra care with the scarf, hanging it neatly above her folded belongings on the counter top. All that’s left around her neck is a simple necklace Janey made her back on Elpis. A trophy fashioned from small black fragments she chipped from the remains of the giant kraggon, Iwajira. Corpse Jewelry.

She wets a fresh rag, running it over her skin. It wasn’t as good as shower but it was doing wonders to alleviate some of the tension on her body. The gladiator returns to the office, locking it shut. Secure. She eats some of the snacks in the fridge, drinking half a bottle of water. She puts the pistol on the desk so she can tug the cot out of the wall. It’s covered in pink sheets, the ones Janey had on her spare in the Ozless Harbor. Good. Smells like her. Athena wishes she didn’t fall asleep the instant her body hit the sheets.

 

Athena wakes to the sound of the fast travel machine activating. The light forms, digital data becoming physical biology. Springs' shape appears and Athena releases the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She’s standing there, Xiphos gripped in one hand with the Aspis held under the other arm like some sort of toy. The juxtaposition of the legendary equipment in Janey’s hands is comical. She wobbles, disoriented for a moment. She looks over, finding Athena’s eyes on her.

“Heya.”

Athena smirks, “Janey Springs, the gladiator.”

Janey sticks her tongue out at her and puts the Aspis and Xiphos on the desk, mumbling, ”You are what you eat, right?”

Athena groans, dropping her face back into the pillow. The blonde puts the bag of guns by the cot, within Athena’s reach. Janey sighs heavily, stretching out her arms.

“Well, that’s all taken care of. By the way, a giant freaking light appeared in the sky. Had the people in a frenzy. Sanctuary was nearly deserted. I was half tempted to walk into Moxxi’s with your sword n’ shield like ‘Ay, mate, I could do for a drink!’”

“A light? Like… a Vault light?”

“Hell if I know.”

“They  _were_ building some sort Atlas Vault finding robot.”

 

Janey undoes her tool belt, placing her sets carefully on the desk. She pats them affectionately. She hangs her vest on the chair before disappearing into the garage to clean up. Athena stares at the vest, a corner of the pink fabric marred by dark red splatter. It'll probably never wash out. 

When Janey comes back, Athena notices the hesitation in the way she approaches the cot. She pauses by the doorway, her steps indecisive. 

“Do you..." She finally speaks, "Do you mind sharin' the cot?”

Athena scoots her back against the wall, making room on the small bed for her. Janey smiles tiredly. She crawls onto it, her back brushing against the smaller woman.  

“Thanks.”

Athena slowly embraces her, feeling the tension in Janey’s muscles melt at her touch.

“Um, no? Thank  _you. You_ saved  _me ..._ and Aspis and Xiphos.” She whispers against her neck.

The blonde finds Athena’s hand and interlaces their fingers. Voice already slurring from drowsiness, “Didn’t wanna make you feel uncomfortable.”

Athena hugs her closer, pressing her body against Janey’s back.

“No, I’m… I’m really glad you’re here.”

 

“I’m glad you’re here too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my favorite thing is that athena's reaction to helios falling is pretty much "well, thats happening."


	3. Murder Picnic

A few days later and it’s been surprisingly quiet. There haven’t been any bounties posted for Athena by the Crimson Raiders. No one has even reported much on the mysterious light that blazed across the sky. The news is filled with chatter about Helios, finally torn from the sky. Most Pandorans celebrate because the hated symbol of Handsome Jack and his Hyperion cronies is gone. Others are eager to salvage the wreckage. No one has found any Hyperion survivors despite the numerous life pods blanketing the wasteland. A bandit group has already taken up residence in the core of the Helios ruins.

Athena’s restless, she wants to go out there and find some action--er, salvage. She knows Janey would benefit from any parts she could find and whatever else could be sold for cash. If she didn’t act soon, all the opportunity for ripe pickings would be gone. Problem is, Athena’s supposed to be taking it easy. If she’s feeling better, she and Janey are supposed to talk. And Athena is afraid.  
Janey hasn’t spoken to her much outside of care for her wellbeing. She’s still friendly and sweet but her behavior is more restrained than usual. Athena wonders if they’ll still be girlfriends after all of this.

The gladiator carries a small crate of scrap metal and spare parts to the back of the garage and sets it down beside the empty crates. Springs is working under a van sporting a flaming paint job. Athena sits down on the floor besides where her girlfriend’s legs are sticking out. Athena leans her head back against the van.

“I put the box in the back. Paid the delivery guys.”  
  
“Thanks! Hopefully, that’ll last us ‘til I finish some jobs n’ get money to order more.”  
  
“Is Scooter too busy to send his shipments or --?”  
  
“I don’t think he’s coming back.”

Athena glances at the baggy, patched up grey fabric of her pants. She follows the seams down to her metal plated boots.  
Janey.  
She gently pats the mechanic’s knee.

“Hey, Janey... I’m ready.”

Springs rolls out from under the vehicle. She sits up from the creeper and looks at Athena with concern, “You okay, Hon?” Athena nods, resting her hands in her lap.  
  
“Yeah. I’m feeling well. I just meant about us-- having that talk.”  
  
“Alright, do you mind if we go out?”  
  
“Sure.”

Janey tugs the tool box from under the van and puts it up on the shelf. She washes the grease off her hands. Athena stands, wishing she could shield herself with the Aspis from potentially awkward social situations. Janey pulls a fresh towel out of the cabinet and makes her way to a vehicle covered in a tarp. She gestures for Athena to look as she unveils the object underneath, pride seeping into her voice.  
“Check this out.”

It’s an impressive and an abundantly spiky motorcycle with a sidecar. The metal skull face is kind of cute. Nice color too.  
  
“Is that a chainsaw?” Athena points at the blade jutting out of the wheel of the sidecar.  
  
“Yep.”

 She walks around the bike, taking in all the details from the handles down to the exhaust pipes sticking out of the back. That large booster looks like it could handle a lot of power. Athena props her hands on her hips, “Wow! That’s some really nice work, darling. So, what is this, a special commission?”

“I made it for you. To thank you for all you’ve done for us,” Janey starts, her eyes meeting Athena’s for a moment before she shifts her posture and looks at the floor. She scuffs the toe of her boot against it idly. “For supporting me when I was sick and when I was struggling to find a stable job all this time.”

Athena’s eyes widen. She reaches forward, trailing her fingers over the leather seat.  
  
“Oh…  _wow._ You didn’t have t-- I mean, uh.  **Wow**.”  
She quickly side steps around the bike to hug Janey. “Thank you. Janey. It looks-- really awesome.”

Janey hesitates before reciprocating the hug, squeezing her girlfriend close. She brushes her nose against Athena’s temple. She slowly pulls back to look at her face with a smile, “Wanna take it for a drive?”  
  
“Where are we going?”  
  
“Just, up. Maybe up the ridge. I wanna see the stars.”  
  
The blonde tucks the towel into the sidecar. “Oh, and Athena? Could you get your sword and shield? I’ve got something else to show ya.”

Athena returns a moment later with her Aspis and Xiphos. Janey reaches into the sidecar, pressing a button.

“This surface here is magnetized.” She says, gesturing over the metal top of the sidecar. “So you can stick your gear on it when you’re driving and it’ll stay put.”  
The gladiator holds the weaponry over the surface, carefully testing the force of the magnets.  
  
“There’s a button to toggle the magnets off and on from the bike handle and from in the sidecar.” The pieces hold firmly onto the top of the sidecar.  
Satisfied, Athena smiles up at Janey.  
  
“Wow, you’ve really thought of everything.”

Athena slowly makes her way around to the bike side of the vehicle with mounting anticipation. She climbs onto it while Janey settles into the sidecar seat. Wow.  
As they take off, Athena lets out a rather excited whoop. Janey laughs, happy that her girlfriend enjoys the bike. She shouts over to her, “Now,  _please_ don’t crash into anything!”  
  
Athena scoffs, “I’m not a bad driver!”  
  
“Athena, I have received  _every single one_ of your Moon Zoomy crash reports. Remember, I admined th-”  
  
“Uh, Anyways! Do you think the magnets on the sidecar would work on my boots?”  
  
“ _What?”  
__  
_ “ _It’s a valid question!”_

 

They drive out of the cave’s mouth, emerging into wasteland and the night sky. Athena easily maneuvers the bike up the narrow ridges to a highly elevated spot she likes to use for scouting. She scans the area for any dangerous wildlife and ignites a plant so that it catches fire, giving them light to ward off any potential danger.

She turns the bike off and closes her eyes, basking in the sensation. The still warm engine under her and the solidness of the handles in her grasp. She’s driven Atlas issued Lancers, several stolen vehicles, rental Moon Zoomys, and Fiona’s caravan, but this is  _hers._ Specifically made  _for her._ It’s so… cool. Janey’s so sweet to her. Athena hasn’t even told her about the money yet.

Janey spreads the towel on the ground besides the motorcycle. She flattens it down and sits down with a sigh, leaning back against the bike. Athena notices her usual smile has long faded somewhere during the drive up. What else has she missed while looking out for external dangers? The gladiator carefully sits beside her. Janey frowns, staring up at the night sky, an arm propped up on her knee like a wall between them. The guilt and dread creeps back over Athena.

Janey’s posture is stiff with tension. She clenches her hand into a fist, her gaze drifting down to the ground.

“I was so worried.” She begins softly. “We’ve been so distant from each other lately, I couldn’t tell if you were actually missing or if you decided you just didn’t want to come home anymore. That maybe all of this was too much, and you felt trapped ‘cause we went all in when we moved off Elpis. I spent days trying to figure out what I did wrong and how I could fix things. I know I tend to come on too strong and I hold on too tight and I’m trying to be better. I don’t wanna lose you, but I don’t want you to feel like you  _have_ to stay even if you aren’t happy.”

Athena’s eyes widen, mortified that the issues between them are even greater than she thought. How long has Janey felt this way?  
  
“Janey…”  
Janey huffs, unclenching her hand. “What was I supposed to think-- what, with the lying and you running off for days with some other girl?”

Oh.  
That’s not good. She hadn’t even considered that. The gladiator swallows hard.

Janey continues, “So when Fiona waltzed in the shop, I was quite upset. But she told me what happened to you. That you were hired to teach and protect ‘em. How you got nabbed by the Vault Hunters.”  
She finally looks at Athena over her shoulder. “That before they took you away you asked her to pass a message to me. That… you love me.”

She studies Athena’s expression for a moment before slumping back against the bike. “I really want to believe that. We’ve been through so much… Thank goodness I found you before they did something horrible to you.”

Athena hesitantly reaches across the gap to touch Janey’s shoulder. She brings her fingers down over her skin slowly, desperate to comfort her yet doubting her ability to do so in words.  
  
“Janey, you’re-- you’re everything to me. I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Everything I do is for us. So we can be happy together… It’s all I want.”   
She rests her hand on Janey’s forearm.

She has another truth she can never tell her. Janey had been three days late. The firing squad and the execution order. Their bullets racing to pierce her body while Janey’s probably sitting in that garage, staring at the motorcycle, still hoping Athena would get back home and they could make everything okay again. Athena lets her hand fall from Janey’s arm back to the towel. It was selfish to have Janey’s heart like this and then look that firing squad in the face and dare them to shoot. She thought Janey would be better off without her.  
She realizes now that Janey would’ve been devastated. She’d be upset, confused, she’d… she’d blame herself.

“I’m so sorry.” Athena whispers. Janey’s knee lowers, her leg sliding down to rest flat on the ground. She rests her hand beside Athena’s.  
  
“Then why did you have to lie to me?”

Athena taps her fingers on the towel. She sighs, “I was scared.”  
Janey turns her body, facing her girlfriend entirely. She tilts her head, a mix of concern and surprise across her features. “Why?”  
  
“I was scared of disappointing you. I wanted to be everything you want me to be, but I can’t. I… can’t stop killing. I tried but I just…”  
She peers down at her hands.   
  
“I keep messing things up. I’m scared you’ll leave me.”

Janey slides her hands over hers. “No... I’d never-- Athena, I’m sorry I made you feel pressured like you had to change or be perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes. We all do. I’m not gonna up and leave you. I don’t really care if you kill people, I just wanted you to stop so  _you’d_ be safe. I’m afraid of you getting hurt or worse. You can’t… you can’t die out there. Alone.”

Athena rotates her body towards the mechanic, pulling a hand away to gesture at the wastelands. “That’s the problem. I was  _created_ to kill people. It’s all I’m really good for. It makes  _a lot_ of money. We need money.”

Janey grabs her shoulders, “I need you more than money!”  
Her grasp loosens, slowly sliding down her arms. Athena shakes her head, focusing on the ground between them. “There is $250,000 hidden in our house just from the Fiona mission. It’s good insurance in case someone gets sick or if you need to invest it in the shop...”

Janey moves her hands up to touch Athena’s face. She lifts the gladiator’s chin so she can meet her eyes.

“I need you more than money.” She repeats softly. “You are more than just a weapon. It’s been real rough since we got to Pandora and you’ve done so much for us but we’re okay now. I’ve got the shop up now and it’ll be good for us. High risk stuff-- it ain’t worth it. We don’t need to do it anymore.”  
She slides one hand back to stroke Athena’s hair. She pauses, biting her lip. “If you have to do high risk stuff, could I go with you?”

“What?” Athena reaches up to the hand Janey has cupping her cheek and slips her fingers around her wrist.

“Honestly, I’d rather us be safe. But, I’d feel much better if we were together if things went to shit. Clearly, I don’t mind taking lives for you. I just. I need to be there with you, okay? I can’t be powerless to help while my girlfriend’s dying somewhere--  _I can’t go through that again._ ”  
  
“No. It’s too dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt--”  
  
“No shit! That’s what I’ve been saying.”  
  
“It’s different with me, I’m-”

“You’re what?  _Disposable?_ Cause you’re not, Athena. You’re everything to me too.” Janey’s voice drops, her expression soft and pleading.

Athena thinks it over for a moment, considering the risks and remembering how capable Janey’s proven to be. She sighs, leaning into Janey’s palm.  
“Okay, okay. But  _no dying._ ”

 Janey gives her a small smile, “That’s what I like to hear.” Athena chuckles, scooting closer and wrapping an arm around her. Janey tucks her against her neck. They lean against each other, at ease. Athena presses a shy kiss against her scarred skin.  
“...And I’ll tell you more. Feeling things.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Cause I… I want to hold you. And kiss you. All the time. And you always make my heart feel, uhh…  _you know_.”  
Janey giggles, biting her lip in delight.  
  
“This is why I don’t talk about my feelings.” Athena pouts.   
Janey hugs her tighter, “Aww, but I love when you do.” The gladiator just huffs against her.  
She kisses Athena’s forehead, “I’m serious, Darl’, it’s very sweet.” She tilts her cheek against the shorter woman’s head, continuing to gently stroke her fingers through the blue strands.

“It’s still pretty weird seeing Elpis up there.  _Much nicer_ seeing the ole’ rock without that ruddy station blocking it. We’ve… come a long way, huh?” Athena hums in agreement.

They sit in silence for several minutes, only the faint crackling of the dying fire and the sounds of the night filling the space around them.

“Are we okay, Athena?”  
  
“I’m okay, are you?”  
  
“Yeah.”

They hold hands even after the drive back. Athena isn’t scared anymore. She thinks Janey feels it too.

 

Athena spends the next day debating over whether or not she should ask Janey about going on a mission like they agreed. The more time passes, the less likely there will be Helios salvage left to find out in the Wastes. The less of an excuse she’ll have to go out into harm's way.

Athena leans her back against the counter besides Janey while the taller woman puts away their dishes. It’s a new morning and they just finished having breakfast together. The gladiator sips her coffee, soaking in the warmth. Janey turns and slides up against her to kiss her cheek.

Athena rests her head against her girlfriend’s shoulder, “Do you have free time today?”

“Didya have something in mind?” Janey purrs near her ear.

Athena sputters, a blush appearing on her face. She clears her throat, putting the coffee mug on the counter.

“I’m, uh. I mean. I think we should go salvage the Helios parts! The life pods probably have tech you could use. We can sell extra stuff.”

“Ah.”

“It’d be dangerous, but I can-  _We_ can handle it.”

Janey crosses her arms, her expression contemplative. “Well, it  _would_ beat paying out the arse for the parts second hand. Especially with Scooter gone and the shop still low on supplies, we gotta make sure our shop’s sustainable.”

Athena is still unsure of what’s happened to Scooter. Fiona never came back either, though she’s hoping that she and her sister are okay. Out in the borderlands, it’s always safe to assume the worst. The mechanic rubs the back of her neck before shrugging. “Alright. I’ll admit I miss a bit of ole’ fashioned junk finding.”

“And I miss stabbing people.”

Janey laughs, wrapping her arm around the shorter woman’s shoulders and tugging her against her side. “You’re so morbid!”

“I’m not  _that_ bad.”

“You’re not bad at all.” She kisses Athena’s forehead and receives a smile in return.

The blonde steps back, opening the kitchen drawer. She reaches in, her eyes never leaving Athena’s face while she pulls out a pistol and thrusts it into Athena’s hands. The gladiator laughs as Janey goes about packing them lunch. Athena tucks the gun on to her belt and begins gathering weapons and ammo in a bag. They reunite a moment later in the living room. Athena has a list of crash coordinates already prepared. They decide on a route along a dried-up river bed.

Athena locks their house while Janey waits beside her, holding a small picnic basket. The mechanic tucks her arm around Athena’s as they walk to Scooter’s garage. A smile grows on the gladiator’s lips despite feeling a bit unsure about how this day would go. She’s not entirely confident in this compromise they’ve agreed on. Her concern for Janey led her to pick the least dangerous options. Which, in a way, kept Athena from putting herself in too much danger. Might not be as fun but maybe it could work out…

When the garage door finally opens, they slip inside and roll the motorcycle out.  They close up the shop behind them. Janey focuses on loading storage boxes, loose paper, and bags for carrying anything they find. She fastens the food basket to the rear motorcycle seat as Athena silently puts the weapons in the sidecar and sits in it. Janey notices and puts her hands on her hips with a chuckle.

“You look real cute in there.”  
  
“Drive, Janey.” Athena orders, failing to mask the blush radiating on her cheeks from the way Janey is smirking at her. “...Please.”

Janey’s smile grows, biting her lip. Somehow, sitting in the sidecar made Athena look even smaller.

“ _Springs.”_

Athena pouts and pulls her hood up to cover her flushed skin. She pats the bike seat before crossing her arms and looking away. She’s adorable. Janey honestly doesn’t know how to deal with it sometimes. She finally straddles the motorcycle and turns in on. She does a quick check, pointing at each connection and meter as she counts them off her mental list. Everything is a go. Janey revs the engine, satisfied by the rumble. She glances over at her girlfriend to see if she’s ready.

Athena’s facing her and leaning back in her seat, prominent blush now accompanied by a goofy little smile.  
“Looking pretty hot, Springs.”

“Oh. Is  _that_ your plan? You want me to drive so you can sit back and make eyes at me all day?”

“There’s a tactical advantage to this!” Athena protests, lifting her hands from the sidecar to present the scoped ZX-1 luneshine laser they held. “Oh, yeah,” Janey shakes her head, starting to drive them to Hollow Point’s exit, “suuuure.”

She shoots Athena another smirk, “Luckily for you,  _Miss Athena_ , you may stare at me as much as you like.”

The wind pushes back her blonde hair, revealing the scars trailing from her forehead down past the soft collar of her vest.  
“Yeah… I really am lucky.” Athena murmurs, voice hushed under the roar of the engine. She knows the four letter word’s just on the edge of her tongue, threatening to tumble over it and drag her along with it. But Athena’s been in love with Janey for a while now. Too afraid to admit it whether it’s presenting that vulnerability to Janey or exposing it to potential enemies. Recent events are proving that sooner is better than later.

Things are going to be different. She should tell her today. Her grip tightens on the gun, hoping to chase away the bit of anxiety in her gut.   
Yeah, she will.

The first two spots were already combed over by other scavengers. Only metal skeletons remain, hollowed out and scraped clean. Somehow, Janey would still dig a thing or two out of the wreckage to put in her bag. _Nothing is never an option_ , something like that. Athena’s on watch, taking warning shots at skag packs that wander too close to them. They hop back on the bike and head to the next coordinate.

All they find is sand and tall chunks of rock reaching up to the sky. Athena squints up at the cliffs and checks the coordinates again. “I bet it crashed up there.” The gladiator declares, climbing out of the sidecar. She pulls the Aspis and Xiphos off the top while the laser rifle hangs over her back. She waves at Janey as she steps back towards the rocks. “I’ll go look for a path up and mark it for us, okay?”  
Janey gives her a nod, pulling her pistol from her side and resting it in her lap. Athena spares one last look at her before she digs into the cliff face, scaling her way to the top. She pulls herself up with a grunt, brushing the dust off her armor as she looks around for any sign of the crashed life pod. There’s a pathway leading back down with a few rocks that she kicks out of the way. A flash of red catches her eye. She looks up at the flickering light and sees the life pod had embedded itself into an alcove of rocks a few feet off the ground.

Springs looks around, tapping her finger on the pistol as she waits. She hears rocks falling from the summit. The familiar figure of her girlfriend emerges from the orange dust, outrunning the tumbling stones. Janey drives towards her slowly so that she can board the sidecar. Athena smoothly hops on, guiding her up the path.

“It looks untouched. I bet no one found it because it’s wedged up there.”  
Janey grins, “Bonza.”

The path curves around the stone and under one of the rock foundations before they emerge into the opening of the alcove. Janey bounces off of the bike and jumps up, reaching for the handle of the life pod door.  
Her hand slips and she lands with a laugh, “Ohhh, gravity.”

Athena smiles, “Need a lift, dear?”

“I-” Janey leaps up and successfully grabs a hold of the handle, lifting herself up. “I got it, thanks.”

A delighted cheer comes from the mechanic. Athena cocks her head to the side, watching Janey hunched over in the pod. “See anything good?”

“Awwww, yeah. This is real good. Tech this sophisticated runs pretty high. Defs a good catch!”

“Good! I’ll go take a look around while you work.”

Athena lingers for a moment, just to make sure Janey doesn’t fall or need any help stripping down the pod. She surveys the perimeter. There’s an old trail from under the pod, faintly dried blood leading back behind more jagged rock formations. A corpse in hyperion office garb lies in the dirt. Likely met their end from overexposure and blood loss.

When Athena returns to check on Janey, she already has pried several parts out of the pod. She lets the bulk scrap drop to the ground as they come loose, only handing Athena the more delicate tech from the pod’s navigational and life support systems. She takes care to wrap them in spare paper sheets and put them in a bag.

“What about you? Didya see anything good?” Janey calls out, busy disassembling parts further back in the pod.

“I see your ass.”

Janey turns and Athena’s smiling innocently with the bag of tech in her hands. They break out into laughter. Janey shakes a screwdriver at her, “My dear lady, I must say: your gay is showing.”

Athena smirks at her before taking the bag over to the motorcycle. She secures it in the storage space of the sidecar and pulls out another bag to fill, repeating the process. As she ties it down in the storage, she sees dust clouds on the roads coming towards their location.

Shit, the path is open now, the scouts would find them.

“Enemies incoming!” She calls out, jogging over to the pod. Janey sticks her head out, the screwdriver between her teeth, pistol in one hand. Athena puts a finger to her lips and gently pushes the other woman back. She pulls the door over the pod, closing Janey inside. She rolls the motorcycle behind some of the tall rocks. Crouching, Athena draws the Xiphos and waits.

 

A scratched up outrunner pulls into the center of the alcove. A gruff bearded man steps out, armed with a shotgun. He looks around, attention immediately drawn by the dead body. “Hyperion worm,” he scoffs, kicking the corpse with his boot. His partner gets out of the driving seat, a woman wearing an  _excessive_ amount of bandoliers and an SMG.

She looks up at the pod, “The signal’s up. Gonna need the gang to stay near the bottom and bring one of the big hauls to hook this sucker up. Yank it clear of the rocks without too much damage. God knows the idiots would just toss the thing off the cliff.” She reaches towards the dust covered door. “Want this baby in pristine condition.”

Her hand stops midway, the sound of her partner’s guttural cry derailing her previous thought. His eyes are wide, bulging as he struggles through a choked gasp. Protruding from his chest is a long red blade.

“No!” She yells as the gladiator pushes his lifeless body off her sword. The bandolier clad woman unleashes a barrage of bullets which are easily deflected off the face of the Aspis. Suddenly, the pod door collides with her side, knocking her on to the ground. The SMG lands out of her reach. She looks up to see the blonde hanging out of the pod, holding onto a latch while pointing a pistol at her. Athena saunters up to her.  She leans down, pressing the Xiphos against the bandit’s neck.

“How many more are coming?”

She looks between the hooded gladiator and the blonde sticking out of the pod, body trembling with both fear and anger. “They will skin both of you alive! You hear me, gladiator? String your bloody bodies up and drag them across the wastes!”

Athena glances at Janey and she sees the blonde frown. Janey gives her a nod and turns back, tucking the pistol into her side and resuming her work on the pod.

The bandit grins, “And I hope they have a bit of fun with you two when they do.”

Athena raises her sword. The bandit tries to make a move for the SMG but the heel of Athena’s boot stomps down on her chest. The Xiphos arcs down and across her neck.

She puts the bandit’s bodies back into their vehicle. She runs it down the path and activates its booster to send them a way off east, leaving only burn marks. Athena jogs back up the summit.  The only evidence of the encounter is the tire tracks and fresh blood spattered around the rock. She hopes it doesn’t disturb Janey.

She knocks on the side of the pod, “They were scouts. Their vehicle had a beacon in it. I tried to buy us some time, but their gang will find us soon.”

“When they do, there won’t be hardly anything left for ‘em.” Janey states, dropping a few more pieces into Athena’s arms. As she turns to put them in their bike, she hears a loud thud. Janey has yanked the entire seat out of the pod and dropped it on the ground.

Athena laughs, “Are you serious?” 

Janey drops down and takes it back to the bike. “Should’ve brought a cart.”

“Then we couldn’t use the booster.”

“Well…” Janey rubs her chin, analyzing the placement of the salvage they’ve amassed thus far on their bike. She decides to take a knife to it, cutting the leather from the seat and folding it up before putting it the bag. It doesn’t have much in terms of stuffing and the frame by itself is too cumbersome to attach to the bike. She kicks the frame over, letting the shell settle on the dirt. Athena studies her face, gently reaching up and touches Janey’s chin.

“You, uh, got some… stuff. On your chin.” She brushes her thumb against her girlfriend's face. Janey looks down at her hands, blackened from dissecting the pod. “Oh, heh. Thanks, Hon.” She gets on the bike, wiping her hands on a spare piece of cloth. They drive out of the alcove just in time to see two bandit technicals driving from the east. They must have found their friends.

Athena aims the scope at the closer tech incoming. She squeezes the trigger, incendiary rounds flying in bursts towards the vehicle.  The heat causes the turret operator to panic. He flails out of the seat and into the flatbed. Another bandit scrambles up to replace him, but takes a bullet to the face instead. Both trucks soon enter firing range of the couple. Athena reaches down and engages the magnetized surface. She stands up on the sidecar, earning a flabbergasted look from Janey. She doesn’t protest, however, and focuses on driving them towards a narrow path in the canyons where they can lose their pursuers. She takes evasive maneuvers, swerving unpredictably to dodge some of the fire.

The Aspis deflects the projectiles that do manage to reach them. The shield’s blades spin rapidly as Athena draws her arm back to cast it at the bandits. A red trail soars through the air, slamming into the bandits standing on the trucks. It circles, reaching the other vehicle and destroying the turret before it returns to Athena’s arm. She fires the laser with her other hand, the shots homing in on the driver. The heat melts through the windshield, fire finally catching over the hood of the vehicle.

Janey closes in on the narrow path through the canyons just as the worn down technical swerves to avoid a boulder. It smashes into the rock face, exploding shortly after.

“Oh ha ha, yes!” Athena cheers, blocking another volley of machine gun fire. Janey steals another glance at her, figure valiant as the blows leave only sparks against the Aspis. The bandits are just behind them. The rocky passage would barely fit the both of them, but this fact does not discourage the bandits from trying to catch up to ram them. She throws the Aspis at an overhanging rock, causing a rock slide. The bandits dodge the worst of it, taking several dents from the smaller debris they charge through. Athena feels the shift of their bike’s speed deaccelerating and looks at Janey. The blonde pulls them dangerously close to ride along the right wall.

“Athena!” Janey calls out, pressing a button on the handle. She feels the roar before she hears it under her, the chainsaw’s teeth whirring to life. Athena ducks down back into the sidecar and braces herself. Janey veers into the bandits, driving the chainsaw into the car. It grinds through the front of the technical, temporarily connecting the two. Athena leans between the vehicles and jabs her sword through the windshield, stabbing one of the passengers. She tosses a grenade through the shattered glass just as the chainsaw slices through the metal bumper and reaches their tire. The bandits swerve, impacting and scraping against the rock wall as Janey ignites the boosters.

The explosion shakes the entire passage, collapsing inwards and sealing it behind them. Athena pumps her fist in victory, a soft cackle erupting into a longer unrestrained laugh. Janey exchanges glances with her as the boost dies down. Athena points at her with a smile, “That was some sweet moves back there, Janey!” She gestures behind them with another laugh. “Those fools didn’t see that coming!”

“I knew that chainsaw would be useful.” Janey replies with a tired smile.

She drives out a little further, finding them shade and stashing the motorcycle under it. Athena’s still smiling. Janey just exhales, her hands are shaking when she lets go of the handles. The adrenaline from the fight still coursing through her veins. She runs her hands through her hair with a low groan.

 

She gets up, pulling out their picnic basket. They share a bottle of water and sit against the bike. They decompress, eating slowly and quietly.

“Should be heading back after this.” Janey states softly. Athena nods in agreement, sliding her hood down to get more of the breeze on her skin. The mechanic stands up and inspects the bike’s damages. She runs her fingers across the metal, finding scratches and a few bullet holes. Superficial. No serious damage to the internal parts or the tires.

She stands up, propping her hands on her hips with a sigh. “I dunno, ‘Thena. That coulda gone real bad.”

Athena approaches her back. She wraps her arms around the taller woman’s waist. Athena bites her lip, thinking over how to comfort her.

“I know it's… not your thing. But we’re okay, _you did amazing._ W-we did. We’re a great team!” She squeezes her gently, “... because we trust each other.” Janey hums in response, bringing her hands up to hold Athena’s. They spend a quiet moment staring at their now dinged up motorcycle. A little battle hardened but far from being a wreck. Athena rests her chin on Janey’s shoulder, the soft collar of her vest pressing warmth against her skin.

“I…” She trails off. She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, leaning a little more into her girlfriend. “I love you. So much. _”_

“Uh, heh… Wow. Uh.” Janey turns in her arms to face her. A smile on her lips, blush radiating across her face. Her hands brush over Athena’s vest on the way to cup her cheeks, fingertips sliding into her hair.

“It feels so good to hear you say that.” Her voice cracks through a bright grin.  
  
“Sorry it took so long, darling.” Athena breathes, unadulterated tenderness in her blue eyes.

Janey presses closer against her, pressing their foreheads together as she caresses her face.

“I bloody love you-”

The shorter woman steps forward, pushing Janey backwards. “I-I know, it shows in everything you do-” She whispers. The back of Janey’s legs collide against the motorcycle. Athena kisses her deeply, earning a moan from her girlfriend. Janey slides her hand into her dark blue hair, holding her close. Athena smiles into her lips as she feels Janey’s other hand find its way to her ass.  
She missed kissing her like this, the slow touches, dragging her hands over her bare midriff. Brushing affectionately over her scars. She bites her lip and pulls lightly, intent on doing more when Athena feels Janey’s hand on her hip, gently pushing her back.

“Wait, wait.” She breathes.

She grins, brown eyes clouded in a haze of arousal and happiness.

Athena’s eyebrows furrow in concern. “Yeah? Are you okay?”

Janey takes her hand from the gladiator’s hip to fish in the pocket of her baggy pants. “Yeah.” She says as she slides her other hand to rest on Athena’s neck, rubbing her thumb over her skin. She brings the hand from her pocket, fist closed as she raises it between them. She smiles, opening her fist. A silver ring inlaid with two rows of teal green gems glitters upon her palm.

“You wanna get married?”

“W-what?” Athena gasps.

“Get hitched. Real gay like. Heh.” Janey starts to nervously ramble, “You n’ me. Supposed to be a forever thing, uh, I’ll be your wife, you’ll be mine and- I’m sorry is this too sudd-”

Athena’s mouth presses against hers, muffling her voice. “I really…” Athena begins to say as Janey follows her lips. “Yes.” She manages between kisses, “I really do.”

“Heheh, Bonza.” Janey whispers against her mouth. She moves her hand to cup her cheek, pulling her face back so she can look at her girlfriend-- fiancée’s face. Athena holds her affectionate gaze for a moment before looking at the ring in Janey’s palm.

“Is that… moonstone?”

“Yeah, I kept a couple when we left.”

She feels Janey’s thumb brush under her eyes and realizes tears are sliding down her face and it’s entirely ridiculous because Janey’s crying too. Athena buries her face in the crook of her neck. Janey wraps her arm around her, squeezing her gently. She takes Athena’s weight against her, enjoying her presence and the soft sniffles that would once in awhile break the silence. The gladiator breathes a shaky sigh, smearing her tears against Janey’s collar.

“Janey.” Her voice muffled against the soft fabric.

“Yeah, hon?”

“What finger does it go on?”

Janey moves her hand slowly, finding Athena’s left arm. She gently slides her finger tips over exposed skin and across the metal bracer which summons the Aspis. She takes Athena’s gloved hand, rubbing her thumb lightly over her palm. She turns her head to press against the shorter woman’s, indigo strands brushing against her cheek and nose.

“This one.” Janey whispers, sliding her fingers over Athena’s ring finger. She carefully puts the ring on her. She holds Athena’s hand, eyes closed. They linger in the moment, breathing slowly and basking in each other's embrace.  
Janey strokes through her hair, “We should probs get goin’, yeah?” Athena hums quietly, reluctantly withdrawing from her fiancée.

They drive back is quiet and thankfully uneventful. Every once in a while, they steal quick glances at one another. The sound of the motorcycle gliding across the road and wind blowing against their clothes is relaxing. The ring feels so foreign on her finger. A good sort of strangeness, like when she first started wearing the scarf Jess gave her. Sentiment. Tangible items that represent the very few connections she has to other people.  Athena treasures these gifts.

Marriage, wow.

She’s got to find a jeweler and sort out the funds. Get something as wonderful as Janey makes her feel. She looks at the moonstones engraved on the ring. Something meaningful.

 

When they get back to the shop, they unload the salvage in the back of the garage and take the sensitive tech into the office. She hangs the leather she cut from the seat up on the textile rack for refurbishing. Janey catalogs their haul on her clipboard. She takes a walk around the garage, taking stock of the entire inventory. Looks like the shop’s supply is nearly restored after the drain of resources they had to use to build Fiona’s rocket. Satisfied, she lays the clipboard down on her office desk. She looks up to see Athena leaning against the office wall, marveling at the ring on her hand.

Janey walks over in big strides, arms open to take Athena up in a bear hug. She tilts them from one foot to the other before happily nuzzling against the smaller woman’s neck. “Athena Springs. How do ya like the sound of that?”

Athena chuckles, pressing her body against her fiancée. She slides her arms to rest on Janey’s shoulders. “Sounds--” Her breath hitches as Janey starts placing little bites and kisses along her neck. The blonde’s hands trail down her sides, beginning to work on undoing her belt. Athena drags Janey’s lips back to her own.

“Good. Really good.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyyyyy, this is the chapter where the cover picture came from hehehe.  
> ( http://erughostcat.tumblr.com/post/166615432259/elbow-grease-erughostcat-borderlands-video )  
> I have a jathena playlist (named Aspis xD). That new Kiyoko song, Feelings, is on there-- because "I'm sorry that I care, it's really not that fair. I can't help but care." And I'm like URRGHH JANEY PLS. My fave song on there for them tho is The World Is Ugly by My Chemical Romance. jfc it says I have 101 songs on it. Sorry ya'll, I'm a nerdddd


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